Delivery mechanism of platen printing presses



June 14, 1938. F, TH' M N 2,120,532

DELIVERY MECHANISM OF PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 30, 1937 6 Sheets-Shet 1 June 14, 1938.

F. s. THOMPSON DELIVERY MECHANISM OF PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 30, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 14, 1938. F. s. THOMPSON DELIVERY MECHANISM OF PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 30, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 14, 1938. F. s. THOMPSON DELIVERY MECHANISM OF PLATEN PRINTING PRESS ES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 50, 1937 June ,1938. F. s. THOMPSON DELIVERY MECHANISM OF PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 14, 1938.

F. s. THOMPSON 2,120,532

DELIVERY MECHANISM OF FLATEN PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 30, 1957 6 Sheets$heet 6 Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DELIVER-Y MECHANISM OF PLATEN PRINT- ING PRESSES Frank Sydney Thompson, Manchester, England, assignor to T. C. Thompson & Son, Limited, Manchester, England Application April 30, 1937, Serial No. 139,935 In Great Britain May 31, 1935 3 Claims. (Cl. 271-84) This invention has reference to mechanism for Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, delivering the printed sheets from platen printg. 1, indicates the frame of the machne, 6 ing presses, and to such mechanism of the kind indicates the statonary platen and 1 indicates the comprising a ri er d i reciprocated laterally movable platen which is shown in a position of the movable platen by means of toggle mechaabout one-third up from the lowered or normal 5 nism, said gripper device alternately advancing D OII in W c the S ee s to be printed are up to the platen to seize the sheet thereon and d on t0 t- 8 d ca es h p e of Sheet 30 b receding from the platen to remove the sheet p in d rr n a pp 9 arranged at e which it subsequently releases and delivers. front of the ma n The sheets to be printed The invention has for its object to provide an are fed on to the p t 7 from a p 3 y means 1 improved arrangement or construction of toggle of a feeding device f y app p dii mechanism that will occupy a minimum of space, indicates t e delivery pp d v W c is of and enable a maximum reciprocatory travel of e wn kind Comprising a fi l and a the delivery gripper device to be obtained with a hinged J w norm lly l d against h fi d minimum length of the toggle members and will j W y a spring. The g p device ii is function with smoothness and precision at high m n to pr c laterally of h vspeeds. able platen I, the gripper device being in this According to the invention, the toggle members particular embodiment of the invention arranged are opened out or extended on each side alteron e right-hand side of e ab pla as nately of a centre about which one of the mem- Viewed em e f ont and, Of course, On the 20 hers is angularly operated, the two m b r of left-hand side as seen from the rear as in Fig. 2. the toggle closing together during movement The lower d of the pp v e from one opened out position to the other. Conbifurcated d S p vet y te nuc eveniently, the toggle member hich i c n ect d joint fashion on a bush l2 slidable on a slide bar with the gripper device is provided at it d l3 constituted by an extension of, or aligned with,

which is pivoted to the angularly operated memthe fulcrum shaft of the movable platen 1. The her, with an extension adapted to co-act with wer par of th r p r d vi e is f rme with a a guide, arranged in alignment with said centre, guide m ber 14 w h e aCtS W th a u d bar or two diametrically opposite such guides, in such ed y and eXtehdihg laterally frOm the manner that when during oscillatory, or unimovable platen the (IO-Operation of they guide 30 directional, angular vem nt of th l tte member 14 and bar l5 causing the gripper device toggle member through 180 ab t said tr I l to partake of the oscillation of the platen I. to reciprocate the gripper device from one ex- The bush l2 is mounted in the upper d of treme position to the other, the two toggle memde t t e l wer e d of W c has ta y bers close together on one side of said centre mounted in it a s v l1 d pt d to s d n a 35 during the first 90 of each said angular moveslide bar it of square cross-section and mounted ment, the members are constrained t open t in the frame of the machine vertically below the on the other side of said centre during the second Slide ar 3. 90 of the angular movement, To the slide It is pivotally connected at It 40 The invention is hereinafter fully described One end o a evel H which at the middle I 9 40 With reference to the accompanying drawings of its length has pivoted to it the free end of an which illustrate one embodiment of it in a platen arm 6, of length eq t half t Of e printing press. In the drawings, Fig, 1 is a part fixed on a shaft 2! on which is also fixed a gear side view of the machine, Fig. 2 is a rear view Wheel 22 ge With a toothed quadrant 23 as (i. e. looking on the right hand side of Fig. 1) adapted to be oscillated from the main shaft of the mechanism for actuating the delivery of the machine by suitable means. The arm I9 gripper device and Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations at of the lever l9 and the arm 20 constitute a toggle right angles to each other to a larger scale than the open and Closing of Which Causes the Slide Figs. 1 and 2 showing details of the gripperit to reciprocate on the two slide bars 53, I8 and actuating mechanism not shown in such views. carry with it the gr pp device Ce v n en 50 Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 1 illustrating a ly, and .as shown, the quadrant 23 is fixed on a modification, and Fig. 6 is an elevation at right shaft 24 geared by means of bevels 25 with a angles thereto. On the drawings and in the folshaft 25 carryin a toothed Wheel 27 With Which lowing description like numerals of reference ine s a q d 28 p tO be c a ed y dicate like parts. 7 means of an arm 29 the free end of which carries 5 a bowl 30 which co-operates with a cam groove 3| in a cam disc 32 suitably driven from the main shaft of the machine.

The wheel 22 is adapted to be oscillated by the quadrant 23 through 180 so that the arm oscillates from a position in which it is horizontal on the left-hand side of the shaft 2 as viewed in Fig. 2, to a position in which it is horizontal on the right-hand side of the shaft, and vice versa, and the toggle members 2|], I9 are fully opened and closed, and vice versa, on each side of the shaft 2|, alternately. In order to ensure that when the slide l6 reaches its mid-position in either direction of travel, and the toggle members 20, I9 are closed and the pivot I6 coincides with the shaft 2|, the toggle member I!) shall not then move with the member 20 about the centre of the shaft 2 I, and that, instead, the toggle members I9 20 shall open on the other side of the shaft to continue the travel of the slide 6, the free .end of the arm I9 of the lever I9 is provided with a bowl Is adapted to enter and co-act with a vertical guide 33 arranged below and in vertical alignment with the shaft 2|. The co-operation of the bowl I9 with the guide 33 prevents the bowl from moving angularly about the centre of the shaft 2| and so causes the lever l9 to pivot on its centre l9 and the toggle members 23, I9 to open on the side of the shaft 2| opposite to that on which they have just previously closed and in this way the toggle members during oscillation of the gear wheel 22 from one extreme position to the other, as aforesaid, first close on one side of the shaft 2| and then open on the other side of the shaft, and reciprocate the slide l6 and gripper device accordingly. The described construction of toggle has the ad vantage of enabling a maximum reciprocation of the slide l6 and gripper device-to be obtained with a minimum length of the toggle members 20, IS. The arrangement is such that while the gripper device I partakes of the oscillations of the movable platen in the manner before described, it advances towards the platen during the upward movement of the latter from the normal to the printing position and recedes from the platen during the return movement of the latter. The advance of the gripper device I occurs during cooperation of the bowl with the portion 3|' of the groove 3| in the cam disc 32 (which latter rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow head 32, Fig. 1) and the recession of the gripper device takes place during co-operation of the bowl 3G with the portion 3| of the cam groove 3|. During co-operation of the bowl 30 with the concentric portions 3| and 3| the gripper device dwells at the completion of its advance and receding movements, respectively.

In Fig. 2 the parts are shown in the position in which the gripper device I I has advanced a little distance from the delivery position while in Fig. 1 they are shown in the position in which the gripper device is mid-way in its travel to the delivery position.

On the bush l2 on the upper slide bar I3 is mounted a cam disc 34 having a cam cavity 34 with which is adapted to co-operate a bowl 35 on one arm of a bell-crank lever 35 the other arm of which is connected with and adapted to open the hinged jaw of the gripper device against the action of a spring 36 by means of which said jaw is normally kept closed. One end of the spring 36 is connected to an arm 31 fixed on the fulcrum boss of the bell-crank lever 35 and its other end is anchored on the guide member l4.

The cam disc 34 carries a bowl 34 which cooperates in the bifurcated free end of an arm 38 fixed on the sleeve I! mounted on the lower square slide bar l8 which latter has fixed on it an arm l8 adapted to be operated through suitable means from the main cam of the machine, to rock the slide bar |8 to alter the angular position of the cam disc 34 and of the cam cavity 34 therein relatively to the bowl 35 which cooperates with same.

When, during the upward movement of the platen with a sheet to be printed upon it, the platen nears the printing position, the bowl 35 engages the upper part 34 of the cavity 34* in the cam 34 and operates the bell-crank lever 35 which through a lever operates an arm on the hinged jaw of the gripper device II to open said jaw against the action of the spring 36, the hinged jaw remaining open while the sheet is being registered and the application of the pressure of printing has actually commenced. The arm |8 on the lower square slide bar I8 is then actuated to rock the bar to cause the cam disc 34 to be so adjusted (clockwise as viewed in Fig. 3) relatively to the bowl 35 as to allow the hinged jaw of the gripper device II to be closed on the sheet by the action of the spring 36. During the subsequent return movement of the movable platen the gripper device moves therewith and first strips the printed sheet from the stationary platen 6 and then also reciprocates away from the platen and removes the printed sheet and the lower slide bar I8 is rocked in the opposite direction to formerly (i. e. in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3) to restore the cam disc 34 to its original position. The gripping of the sheet by the gripper device H, the printing of the sheet and the stripping of the printed sheet from the stationary platen 6, take place during the dwell of the gripper device at the end of its advance movement. When the movable platen 1 reaches the end of its return movement and the gripper device II the end of its outward reciprocation, and during the then dwell of the device, the bowl 35 engages the lower part 34 of the cam cavity 34 and effects the opening of the hinged jaw of the gripper II to release the removed sheet and deposit same on a delivery pile l0 carried by a support III.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, a gear wheel 39 driven uni-directionally at a uniform speed, one revolution per cycle of the machine, from the main shaft of the machine through screw gearing 40, has projecting from one side of it two pins 4|, 42 fitted with rollers 41 42 respectively. These rollers M 42 are adapted to co-act with radial slots 43 formed in a disc 44 mounted on a shaft 45 on which is also mounted a gear wheel 46 which gears with the gear wheel 22 on the shaft 2! on which the toggle member 20 is fixed. The slotted disc 44 is shown formed with eight equal-angularly spaced slots 43 and'the ratio of the gear wheels 46 and 22 is four to one so that each step of rotation of the slotted disc results in half a revolution of the shaft 2| and toggle member 20. The bowls 4P 4'2 engage the slotted disc 44, alternately, when a slot 43 is in the position indicated by the line X in Fig. 6 which slot is then entered by the par ticular bowl the latter then rotating the disc and gear wheel 46 through one-eighth of a revolution, i. e. until the slot reaches the position indicated to the line Y whereupon the bowl leaves the slot.

Below, and in vertical alignment with, the

shaft 2! there is provided a stationary guide 33 with which the bowl l9 on the free end of the extension H! of the toggle member l9 co-acts during advance of the slide I6 and gripper device II (which for clearness are omitted from Fig. 6) towards the movable platen, in the manner before described.

Diametrically opposite the guide 33 there is provided above the shaft 2| a second guide 33 with which the bowl l9 engages in like manner during movement of the slide l6 and gripper device II in the opposite direction 1. e. away from the movable platen to the delivery position.

The pins 4|, 42 are so relatively spaced on the Wheel 39 that the intervals between their successive engagement with the slotted wheel 44 are of unequal duration and so as to provide a longer period of rest of the wheel 44, and hence a longer dwell of the gripper device, when the gripper device is in its advanced position next to the movable platen l to seize the sheet than when it is in its retracted position remote from the platen "l in which it deposits the removed sheet.

Between the slots 43 of the slotted disc 44 the latter is formed with concaved surfaces 41 with which complementary convexed surfaces 48, 49 of a stop associated with the pins 4|, 42 are adapted to co-act and lock the disc during its periods of rests, the angular length of said convexed surfaces 48, 49 being proportional to the spacing of the pins.

It will be manifest that the spacing of the pins 4|, 42, the number of such pins and of the slots 43 in the disc 44, and the ratio of the gearing between the disc 44 and the shaft 2| may be varied to suit particular circumstances or requirements I claim:-

1. In a delivery mechanism for a platen printing press of the type described, the combination comprising a fixed guide, a gripper device slidably mounted on the fixed guide and means for reciprocating the gripper device including a toggle comprising a member rotatably mounted about a fixed axis positioned intermediate the ends of said fixed guide, another member pivotally connected to the gripper device and to said first mentioned toggle member, said second mentioned toggle member having an extension thereon extending beyond the point of connection with the first mentioned toggle member, and a second extended on each side of the fixed axis of osci1la-' tion of said first mentioned toggle member.

2. In a delivery mechanism for a platen printing press of the type described, the combination comprising a fixed guide, a gripper device slidably mounted on the fixed guide and means for reciprocating the gripper device including a toggle comprising a member rotatably mounted about a fixed axis positioned intermediate the ends of the fixed guide, means for effecting angular movement of the member about the fixed axis through degrees, another toggle member pivotally connected to the gripper device and to said first mentioned toggle member, said second mentioned toggle member having an extension thereon extending beyond the point of connection with the first mentioned toggle member, and a second fixed guide positioned to cooperate with the extension of the second mentioned toggle member, whereby the toggle is fully extended on each side of the fixed axis of oscillation of said first mentioned toggle member upon angular movement of the toggle member through 180 degrees.

3. In a delivery mechanism for a platen printing press of the type described, the combination comprising a fixed guide, a gripper device slidably mounted on the guide and means for reciprocating the gripper device including a toggle comprising a member rotatably mounted about a fixed axis positioned intermediate the ends of the fixed guide, another toggle member pivotally connected to the gripper device and to said first mentioned toggle member, said second mentioned toggle member having an extension thereon extending beyond the point of connection with the first mentioned toggle member, a pair of fixed guides adapted to cooperate with the extension of said second mentioned toggle member and positioned in alignment with and on diametrically opposite sides of the center of the fixed axis of the said first mentioned toggle member, and means for rotating said first mentioned toggle member about its fixed axis in steps of 180 degrees.

FRANK SYDNEY THOMPSON. 

